Rotatable Knob Touch Screen Signal Weighting for Interference Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional in-vehicle touch screens, especially those with single-chip driver integration, suffer from interference and inaccuracy due to visual attention demands, increasing risk to drivers and other road users.

Innovation Solution

A touch screen design incorporating a touch-sensitive and rotatable knob on top of a touch panel, where sense signals from overlapped touch blocks are de-emphasized by weighting, reducing interference and improving touch signal differentiation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a touch screen is used to replace conventional in-vehicle input interfaces, then versatility and popularity are improved, but visual attention demands increase causing harmful consequences on driving operation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveversatilityVSAvoidvisual attention demands
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The touch panel is divided into multiple touch blocks, with the knob area segmented as a separate functional zone. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between knob operations and other touch inputs, enabling the knob to provide tactile feedback without requiring full visual attention, thus resolving the contradiction between versatility and visual distraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The knob acts as an intermediary device between the driver and the touch screen system. It provides tactile feedback and haptic guidance, serving as a mediator that reduces the need for visual attention while maintaining control functionality, thereby addressing the harmful effect of visual demands on driving safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If sense signals from overlapped touch blocks are not de-emphasized, then touch sensitivity is maintained, but interference and inaccuracy increase due to touches outside the knob

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch signal differentiationVSAvoidinterference from external touches
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Different weighting is applied to different regions of the touch panel. Touch blocks within the knob area have different signal characteristics compared to those outside. By applying local quality differentiation through weighted sense signals, the system can accurately distinguish knob operations from external touches, resolving the contradiction between maintaining touch sensitivity and reducing interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of sense signal weighting based on the location of touch blocks. By adjusting the weight parameter for overlapped blocks versus non-overlapped blocks, the system optimizes signal differentiation accuracy while minimizing interference from touches outside the knob area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4167058A1Touch screen with a rotatable knob
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 HIMAX TECH LTD
  • EP4167058A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2B
  • EP4167058A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4B
  • EP4167058A1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5B

AI summary

A touch screen includes a touch panel including a plurality of touch blocks, and a knob, being touch-sensitive and rotatable, disposed on top of the touch panel. An area of the touch panel not covered with the knob is defined as a first area, an area of the touch panel covered with the knob is defined as a second area, and touch blocks belonging to both the first area and the second area are defined as overlapped blocks. Sense signals associated with the overlapped blocks are de-emphasized.